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Enhancing the world around us with projectors and 3D scanners is nothingnew. But what about stylizing yourself? With Omote, you can use face-tracking tech to paint on digital makeup -- or anything imaginable, really. In the demo below, it renders a variety of makeup styles and visual effects (like changing eye color) on a model's face. What's most impressive, though, is that the CGI-like projection reflects her movements in real-time. This doesn't necessarily mean your face-painting days are coming to an end though, ladies. Omote's visual magic is equipment-heavy and limited; the woman in the video below never leaves her seat and doesn't crack so much as a smile. But if you someday find yourself using the technology to virtually try a new shade of foundation, we wouldn't be surprised.

If there was one ubiquitous item at NYU's ITP Winter Show, it was the Kinect. Countless projects were built around the Microsoft-made sensor. Max Ma's Touchless, which he built with a ton of help from Tony Lim, originally featured one, but the version that made it to the floor went with an OEM equivalent instead. But the effect is the same: a set of cameras and sensors track various parts of your face, turning your muscle twitches and eyebrow raises into raw data. While Max says this data can be used for a host of different applications, such as unlocking your door with a series of blinks and winks, he focused on bringing joy to people's lives through music creation. The sensor tracks between 16 and 64 points (under ideal conditions) on your face, and uses your movements to trigger and manipulate samples. Truth is, it's hard not to smile while making ridiculous faces, though, I was a little disappointed to find out that the tracker did not play well with my winter beard.

The main method of interacting is by tilting your head, opening your mouth and raising your eyebrows, but Max added some depth by turning a Leap Motion sensor into a controller for a software synthesizer. So samples and beats are all above the neck, but you can wave your hands through the air to play a lovely lead melody. Really, the whole thing is pretty self-explanatory and quite fun, as you can see in the video after the break.%Gallery-slideshow157466%

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FaceTrackinghands-onitpkinectLeapMotionmusicnyuvideoWed, 18 Dec 2013 16:10:00 -050021|20791592http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/29/alt-week-6-29-13-darpa-robots-iris/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/29/alt-week-6-29-13-darpa-robots-iris/http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/29/alt-week-6-29-13-darpa-robots-iris/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsAlt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.

Sure, DARPA is slightly sinister, but it's so into robots that we're willing to let that slide. In fact, last year it launched the DARPA Robotics Challenge, and it just announced the top sixnine seven teams to advance. But if just the idea of figuring out robotics frustrates you, NC State's face tracking program literally gets that, and NASA just launched the IRIS solar probe from the belly of a transport jet. It's Alt-week, baby.

When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S 4 in March, there was a near-inescapable emphasis on face detection features. What we didn't know is just whose technology was making them possible. As it happens, it's not entirely Samsung's -- DigitalOptics has stepped forward to claim some of the responsibility. The California firm recently struck a multi-year licensing deal with Samsung to supply its Face Detection and Face Tracking software, which can detect pupils for interface features (think Smart Stay or Smart Pause) and keep tabs on photo subjects. DigitalOptics hasn't provided the exact details of its involvement in the GS4, let alone a roadmap, but it's safe to presume that Samsung isn't dropping its emphasis on camera-driven software anytime soon.

Update: DigitalOptics says the release wasn't clear on just what was involved in the deal: while the face detection and tracking are present, Samsung didn't pick up the pupil component. As such, you're mostly seeing DigitalOptics' influence in regular camera features and other software that doesn't involve eye tracking.

Redmond seems to have more grandiose ideas for Connected Car than it's let on before, judging from a recent help wanted ad on its site. Reading more like PR for its car-based plans, the job notice waxes poetically about using "the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem" in an upcoming auto platform with tech such as Kinect, Azure, Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Those products would use face-tracking, speech and gestures to learn your driving habits and safely guide or entertain you on the road, according to the software engineer listing. It also hints that everything would be tied together using Azure's cloud platform, so that your favorite music or shortcuts would follow you around, even if you're not piloting your own rig. All that makes its original Connected Car plans from 2009 seem a bit laughable -- check the original video for yourself after the break.

Sony's PlayStation division may have been the main focus this week at E3, but Sony Online Entertainment has something unique of its own to show off for MMORG players. Specifically, folks who are into the PC title Everquest II will soon be able to access a facial recognition feature called SOEmote (S-O Emote). It's no secret that these types of games require massive amounts of communication between players, and SOEmote is an attempt to make in-game conversations more personal than ever. Utilizing any webcam, the software is able map and track your noggin at 64 points, allowing your onscreen character to replicate any facial movements you make. We got a chance to mess around with a beta version of the software, and the results are impressive to say the least -- pretty much all of our facial expressions were accurately recreated. Join us past the break for more details and a hands-on faces-on video demo of it in action.

If there's a large display as part of your workstation, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of your windows simultaneously, without missing a single update. Now imagine surrounding yourself with three, or four, or five jumbo LCDs, each littered with dozens of windows tracking realtime data -- be it RSS feeds, an inbox or chat. Financial analysts, security guards and transit dispatchers are but a few of the professionals tasked with monitoring such arrays, constantly scanning each monitor to keep abreast of updates. One project from the MIT Media Lab offers a solution, pairing Microsoft Kinect cameras with detection software, then highlighting changes with a new graphical user interface.

Perifoveal Display presents data at normal brightness on the monitor that you're facing directly. Then, as you move your head to a different LCD, that panel becomes brighter, while changes on any of the displays that you're not facing directly (but still remain within your peripheral vision) -- a rising stock price, or motion on a security camera -- are highlighted with a white square, which slowly fades once you turn to face the new information. During our hands-on demo, everything worked as described, albeit without the instant response times you may expect from such a platform. As with most Media Lab projects, there's no release date in sight, but you can gawk at the prototype in our video just after the break.

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displaydisplaysface trackingFaceTrackinggraphical user interfaceGraphicalUserInterfaceGUIhands-oninterfaceinterfaceskinectlablabsLCDLCDsmediamedia labMediaLabmicrosoftmicrosoft kinectMicrosoftKinectmitmit media labMitMediaLabmonitormonitorsPerifovealPerifoveal DisplayPerifovealDisplayprototypeprototypestrackingUIuser interfaceUserInterfacevideoWed, 25 Apr 2012 13:28:00 -040021|20223985http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/03/toshibas-4k-glasses-free-3dtv-announced-in-japan-with-more-spe/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We first saw the retail edition of Toshiba's 3840x2160 resolution autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3DTV when it was announced in Europe at IFA last month, and now it has debuted in Japan during CEATEC. This time the company dropped a few more details, revealing that in lenticular 3D mode it's limited to an effective resolution of 1280x720, and showed off the face tracking that automatically optimizes the experience for up to nine simultaneous viewers depending on where they're sitting. Also mentioned were an optional THD-MBA1 input adapter due in 2012 and that 4K-res streaming IPTV is currently being tested. The Regza 55X3 will be priced comparably to its $10K~ Euro-spec counterpart when it arrives in December, but there's still no word on when it will ship in the US. Check out a few pictures of the presentation in the gallery below.

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3d3d tv3dTv4k55x3autostereoscopicautostereoscopic 3dAutostereoscopic3dceatecceatec 2011Ceatec2011face trackingFaceTrackinghdpostcrosshdtvjapanlcdlenticularregzatoshibaMon, 03 Oct 2011 21:18:00 -040021|20072399http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/11/microsofts-onevision-video-recognizer-can-detect-identify-and/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Here's your classic case of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Microsoft's Innovation Labs have just demonstrated a OneVision Video Recognizer algorithm that's powerful enough to perform face detection duties on a running video feed. It can recognize and track humanoid visages even while they're moving, accept tags that allow auto-identification of people as they enter the frame, and can ultimately lead to some highly sophisticated video editing and indexing via its automated information gathering. Of course, it's that very ease with which it can keep a watchful eye on everyone that has us feeling uneasy right now, but what are you gonna do? Watch the video after the break, that's what.

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algorithmauthenticationcameradetectiondynamicfaceface detectionface recognitionface trackingFaceDetectionFaceRecognitionFaceTrackingfacial recognitionFacialRecognitionfutureilabsinnovationlabslivemicrosoftreal timereal-timeRealTimerecognitionrecognizerresearchtracktrackingvideovideo recognizerVideoRecognizervisualFri, 11 Mar 2011 10:19:00 -050021|19876323http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/evigroup-paddle-tablet-goes-pro-gets-cursor-controlling-head-t/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/evigroup-paddle-tablet-goes-pro-gets-cursor-controlling-head-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/evigroup-paddle-tablet-goes-pro-gets-cursor-controlling-head-t/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Some day, in the distant future, we'll be activating windows, clicking buttons, and playing Farmville with our minds. Our minds. There have been attempts to get us there, none fully comprehensive, though the Evigroup Paddle Pro tablet is taking an interesting alternative approach: using head tracking to control the cursor. Apparently its front-facing webcam detects your front-facing mug and as you look about the screen it moves the cursor appropriately. Staring rudely at any button or control for a half-second equates to a click and, while we don't yet know how you'll double-click, we'd like to think a spasmodic twitch will be required. Evigroup is also launching a curvy keyboard to go with the Paddle Pro and is promising the ability to play video and audio wirelessly courtesy of a "small station" that connects to your TV. The internals, meanwhile, are perfectly predictable: a netbook spec Atom N450 struggling with Windows 7 Home Premium. No word on price or availability.

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evigroupface trackingFaceTrackinghead trackingHeadTrackingintel atomIntelAtomn450paddlepaddle proPaddleProtabletwebcamwindows 7windows 7 home premiumWindows7Windows7HomePremiumTue, 16 Nov 2010 09:06:00 -050021|19720096http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/nintendo-dsi-game-lets-your-face-do-the-flying-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/nintendo-dsi-game-lets-your-face-do-the-flying-video/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/26/nintendo-dsi-game-lets-your-face-do-the-flying-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
When it comes to video games that make you look absolutely ridiculous, nothing beats Microsoft's Kinect, but Nintendo's got a substitute if you just can't wait. The aptly-named Face Pilot:Fly With Your Nintendo DSi Camera! does exactly that, letting you literally direct a virtual hang glider with your face, by using the Nintendo DSi's camera to track your head in 2D space. Sure, Sony's EyeToy did similar things earlier this decade and you could program Windows-based FreeTrack software to do the same, but neither provide the portable hilarity (or challenge) of Face Pilot played on commuter rail. The downloadable title will set you back 500 Nintendo Points ($5) at the DSiWare store; watch a quick video demo after the break.

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downloadabledownloadable gamesDownloadableGamesdsidsiwareFace GliderFace Pilotface trackingFaceGliderFacePilotFaceTrackinggamegamesheadtrackingKao GliderKaoGlidermotion controlMotionControlNintendoNintendo DSiNintendoDsivideoMon, 26 Jul 2010 21:15:00 -040021|19569136http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/microsoft-hints-at-touchless-surface-combining-camera-and-transp/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/microsoft-hints-at-touchless-surface-combining-camera-and-transp/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/29/microsoft-hints-at-touchless-surface-combining-camera-and-transp/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We've always wondered whether Microsoft's multitouch table would actually ever arrive, dreaming of Minority Report hijinx all the while, but after seeing what the company's Applied Sciences Group is currently cooking up -- a touchless telepresence display -- we'd rather drop that antiquated pinch-to-zoom stuff in favor of what might be Surface's next generation. Starting with one of Samsung's prototypetransparentOLED panels, Microsoft dropped a sub-two-inch camera behind the glass, creating a 3D gesture control interface that tracks your every move by literally seeing through the display. Combined with that proprietary wedge-shaped lens we saw earlier this month and some good ol' Johnny Chung Lee headtracking by the man himself, we're looking at one hell of a screen. Don't you dare read another word without seeing the prototype in a trifecta of videos after the break.

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Applied Sciences GroupAppliedSciencesGroupface trackingfacetrackinggesturegesture controlGesture recognitionGestureControlGestureRecognitionhead trackingheadtrackinglensMicrosoftMicrosoft Applied Sciences GroupMicrosoft SurfaceMicrosoftAppliedSciencesGroupMicrosoftSurfacemotion sensingmotion trackingMotionSensingMotionTrackingOLEDprototypesamsungsurfacetelepresencetouchlesstransparent oledTransparentOledvideowedgeTue, 29 Jun 2010 10:01:00 -040021|19534367http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/video-kinect-video-calls-and-stream-sharing-over-xbox-live-and/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Xbox Live and Windows Live Messenger are about to meet up in a very personal way -- Microsoft has just announced a new video chat service called Video Kinect, which serves as a logical extension of its brand new Kinect voice- and motion-sensing control system. But it's not just video calling, no sir, you'll be able to watch movies, news, sports, and the like together with whoever you're chatting with. Additionally, thanks to a motorized base and a new skeleton-tracking feature, the Kinect unit will also follow users as they move around the room. Yup, not creepy at all.

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breaking newsBreakingNewschate3e3 2010E32010face trackingFaceTrackinggamegamesgamingkinectlive messengerLiveMessengermessengermicrosoftmsftsharingstream sharingStreamSharingtrackingvideovideo callingvideo chatvideo kinectVideoCallingVideoChatVideoKinectwindowswindows livewindows live messengerWindowsLiveWindowsLiveMessengerxboxxbox 360xbox liveXbox360XboxLiveMon, 14 Jun 2010 13:19:00 -040021|19515578http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/microsofts-new-lens-tracks-your-face-steers-3d-images-to-your/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/microsofts-new-lens-tracks-your-face-steers-3d-images-to-your/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/microsofts-new-lens-tracks-your-face-steers-3d-images-to-your/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsGlasses-free 3D has taken several forms, but most have a critical flaw -- viewers have to stand in predefined locations to get the effect. That just won't do, so Microsoft's prototyped a new approach, and it's one of the wildest we've seen. Taking a cue from Project N... we mean Kinect, cameras track the face while a special wedge-shaped lens traps bouncing light, and after the beams have reached a "critical angle," it exits towards the viewers eyes, aimed by programmable LEDs at the bottom of the screen. Since the system can beam a pair of simultaneous images to two different places, the obvious use is stereoscopic 3D, but researchers found they could also send different images to different viewers, as a sort of privacy screen. If that sounds far fetched, you're not alone -- but you'll find a video proof-of-concept at the more coverage link.

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3DAutoStereoscopicautostereoscopic 3dAutostereoscopic3dface trackingFaceTrackinghead trackingHeadTrackinglensmotion sensingmotion trackingMotionSensingMotionTrackingsteerablesteerable LCDSteerableLcdstereoscopicstereoscopic 3DStereoscopic3dvideowedgeMon, 14 Jun 2010 07:17:00 -040021|19514451http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/03/pricing-for-sonys-2010-3dtvs-revealed-at-jr-com/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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We've been eagerly waiting for some US pricing info on Sony's upcoming 3DTVs, and while SonyStyle still shows only a grim "notify me," JR.com is listing pricing information for the LX900, HX900 and HX800 series LCDs. As usual, preorder pricing on sites like this can shift, but at the moment $1,799 nabs a 40-inch LED edge lit XBR-40LX900 with integrated 3D emitter, WiFi and face-tracking, all the way up to the 60-inch version at $3,779. The HX900 (LED backlit) and HX800 (LED edge lit) are both "3D capable," requiring a separate emitter plus the requisite glasses to get down with the extra dimension and falling in somewhere in between in terms of price. The ship date is only mentioned as "coming soon," but at least now you know how many pennies to roll up before heading out to the store some time this summer.

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50 Series50SeriesAnti-ShakeCESces 2008Ces2008DCS-1050digicamFace TrackingFaceTrackingnorcentpoint-and-shootThu, 03 Jan 2008 18:19:00 -050021|1076709http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/01/benq-offers-up-10-megapixel-e1000-point-and-shoot/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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With BenQ executives somewhat preoccupied with keeping their own asses out of jail, and the company's camera division having been turned over to Ability Enterprises at the end of June, it's hard to say who's really responsible for the latest camera to bear the troubled Taiwanese manufacturer's name. Whoever designed the 10 megapixel DC-E1000, though, seems to have done a pretty good job, taking a cue from the handsome design of the P860 and adding such desirable features as face tracking (up to nine people), a 3-inch LCD, and digital image stabilization. Other specs -- like the 3x optical zoom and claimed 1600 max ISO -- are certainly nothing groundbreaking, and we're assuming that pricing will reflect that fact when these go on sale in China later this month.

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10 megapixel10Megapixelbenqe1000face trackingFaceTrackingimage stabilizationImageStabilizationpoint-and-shootWed, 01 Aug 2007 10:29:00 -040021|955273http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/06/philips-unveils-spc620-spc1000-and-spc1300-webcams-at-computex/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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While we thought we'd already seen the crown jewel of webcams before, Philips apparently thinks otherwise, as it boasts quite heavily about its new trio of display-mountable cams that were unveiled at Computex. All three devices support background customization and emoticon integration, wide-angle lenses, and face-tracking capabilities. The SPC620 holds down the low-end with a vanilla VGA CMOS sensor and will run you €49.90 ($67), while the SPC1000 includes a directional microphone and noise reduction filter, two-megapixel sensor, and a 5x digital zoom for the very same price. The €99.90 ($135) SPC1300 features Pixel Plus 2 technology seen in the company's Flat TVs, a six-megapixel sensor, audio beaming system, twin directional microphones, and Digital Natural Motion technology that purportedly nixes any frame rate flickers when video chatting. All three webcams should hit shelves in Europe, America, and Asia this August.

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cmoscomputexemoticonemotionface trackingface-trackingFaceTrackingmoodphilipsPixel Plus 2PixelPlus2SPC1000SPC1300SPC620webcamWed, 06 Jun 2007 18:20:00 -040021|912202http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/20/korntechs-rogun-robot-recognizes-faces-and-intruders/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/20/korntechs-rogun-robot-recognizes-faces-and-intruders/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/20/korntechs-rogun-robot-recognizes-faces-and-intruders/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsWhile KornTech's Rogun won't go down as the first humanoid that sports both face recognition and intruder alerting functions, it does one-up many of the other prototypes by actually being available for purchase. The Korean startup has developed a kid-friendly one-meter-tall robot that "recognizes people through embedded cameras and high-end face-tracking software." Additionally, the bot can walk on its own and "perform various functions suitable for a security guard or nanny" such as pace the floors at night and give its master a cellphone warning if it recognizes any suspicious behavior. Rogun can even use its camera to show parents what mischief their kids are getting into at home by beaming video via its integrated WiFi chipset, and if watching the big screen is just too 2006, the youngsters can focus on the seven-inch LCD set within the device's chest. Of course, video telephony, internet browsing, and priceless companionship also come bundled in, and while the company hopes to sell these fellows for a mere $5,000 in time, snapping up your own Rogun at the moment will run you a whopping $100,000 or so considering the current BTO nature of production.